This disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in an example described below, more particularly provides a swellable packer having thermal compensation.
A swellable packer is typically used to seal off an annulus in a wellbore environment. Such packers include swellable material which swells when contacted with a particular fluid in a well.
Unfortunately, the swellable material and/or any additional sealing material included in a seal element of a packer can contract when its temperature decreases significantly. For example, in stimulation operations (such as fracturing, acidizing, etc.) or completion operations (such as gravel packing, etc.), relatively low temperature fluid is flowed through the packer, thereby causing the seal element to contract, and lessening the ability of the seal element to seal off the annulus.
Therefore, it will be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide for thermal compensation in swellable packers. Such thermal compensation could be useful in other applications, as well.